


Aftermath of a Resurrection

by skye_godlesslostsoul



Series: DC Comic Short Stories/One-Shots with OCs [1]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Developing Friendships, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Good Friend Koriand'r, Good Friend Rose Wilson, Good Friend Roy Harper, Hallucinations, Healthy Coping Mechanisms, Heart-to-Heart, Heartbeats, Hugs, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Lazarus Pit, Lazarus Pit Madness, Major Original Character(s), Minor Roy Harper/Koriand'r, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Original Character-centric, Parent Roy Harper, Past Character Death, Past Drug Addiction, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Jason Todd, Resurrection, Roy Harper Parent-Mode, Sibling Bonding, Sleep Deprivation, Sleepiness, Team Bonding, Touch-Starved, Understanding, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:20:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25614976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skye_godlesslostsoul/pseuds/skye_godlesslostsoul
Summary: Jason knew the nightmares were going to get worse for Scarlett.  He just didn't expect it to be like this.
Relationships: Artemis of Bana-Mighdall & Bizarro (DCU) & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Original Female Character(s), Jason Todd & Rose Wilson, Koriand'r & Original Female Character(s), Rose Wilson & Original Female Character(s), Roy Harper & Koriand'r & Jason Todd, past Jason Todd/Rose Wilson - Relationship
Series: DC Comic Short Stories/One-Shots with OCs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1856725
Kudos: 4





	1. The Beginning

A cold and dark feeling haunted her. She could feel the edge of it. At first, she could place where it was, but then-

It stabbed through her ribs.

Air was sucked out from her and her lungs began to burn. She couldn't remember how to breathe. Her heart banged against her ribs as if it was busting its way out. Everything was on fire and then feeling returned. _Cold and dark._ Then it stabbed her again in the same place.

The endless cycle continued on and on. She tried to reach out for something, _anything_. But there was nothing and she couldn't move. She was alone. In the dark. In the cold. Tears were dried to her cheeks. Her throat felt scratched at and rough. Her joints were stiff as rods. She couldn't even twitch.

The cycle, suddenly, stopped, but a new presence had taken the cold, dark feeling's place. Her eyes were forced open and while she was in the dark, she could see who was standing above her. _Ra's al Ghul_.

"You will be the perfect weapon," He told her, "and you will bend to every command I give."

The stab of pain came and she cried out. Her eyes closed tightly as fresh tears started to stream out. Then it was gone. Once again, her eyes were forced open. Now standing above her was Slade Wilson, except he didn't look right. There was a red tint in his eye and red marks around his face.

"It's just the job, Hunter."

It struck her again. This time she bit back her scream and her tears. _It's okay. It's okay. It's okay._ She repeated in her head as a little mantra. Her eyes were forced open and she didn't even have to wait for the pain to strike her. She screamed out, staring at the blank glare of her adoptive father.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Scarlett's screaming was heard long before she woke up. Instantly, Jason was at her bedside and trying to pull her towards him. While still asleep, she kicked at him and tried to push away. Her neck craned back into her bed. Her veins were pulsating and some were glowing green through her skin.

When she finally woke up, she was still in a panicked state. All she could see was the darkroom she was in. Someone was grabbing her and she had to get away. Scarlett pushed away with all her energy and jumped off the bed. On her hands and knees, she quickly moved away from the bed she was in. The figure was still on her bed, but someone else was in the room. They grabbed her and held her close. She screamed at them and clawed at their arms.

"No! No! _Don't please!"_ Scarlett continued to yell in a mix of English and Arabic. She begged for them not to hurt her. She begged for her life.

"Scarlett. Scarlett," Rose spoke softly to her as she continued to hold her. "It's over. It is over. You're safe. We've got you. You're safe."

Rose continued to whisper to Scarlett in a calming manner. Scarlett had stopped saying anything, but her cries remained. Tears were streaming down her face and neck. Her nails were digging into the material around Rose's arms. Rose was feeling like she was being pinched but no blood was being drawn due to the wraps around her arms. She had helped Jason through the nightmares; she knew what could happen. Scarlett was rocking forcibly back-and-forth, but Rose's hold on her remained.

Jason was standing by the bed, knowing better than to get close. The last thing Scarlett needed was to feel surrounded. One person was enough for now. It was what came after that Scarlett would need the support.

A little under ten minutes passed before Scarlett was actually aware and awake. She was now curled into Jason as he wrapped his arms around her. His head rested on top hers while her head rested against his chest. She could hear the steady beat of his heart, which seemed to steady out her own.

Roy came in with a glass of cold water. He kneeled down and put the glass in her line of view. She leaned forward slightly. Roy helped her with the straw while Jason rubbed his hand up and down her back. The gentle gesture kept her grounded as her eyes started to droop. Roy set the glass off to the side and within Jason's reach. He had seen Jason go through this and he couldn't help but notice the similarities. From what Rose told him, Scarlett is like Jason when it comes to their personalities. They're both aggressive, sarcastic, but caring in nature. But when it came to asking for help or for affection, they lacked that. After the nightmares, they'd get super cuddly and almost child-like. Roy could see it Scarlett in this exact moment. The way she had curled herself up and laid into Jason, she looked a lot younger than she was. He knew that this isn't something Scarlett would do naturally. She's probably say something snarky and push Jason away. He could help but smile on his way out. As bad as this situation was, Jason and Scarlett needed this time together.

~-~-~-~-~-~

It's not supposed to happen every time she closes her eyes.

Every time Scarlett even rested her eyes (she didn't even have to go to sleep), she'd go into a panic. She thought she was back in the pit or in the moment of her death. The Outlaws helped her through the, what Ra's called, Pit Madness. But there was one time that Scarlett got so bad that it triggered Jason's own Pit Madness.

First, Scarlett was just crying and backing away from seemingly nothing. Once she hit the ground, she started whimper small 'no's and push herself away. Jason was starting to make his way over to her at that point. Then she started to yell.

"Stop! Stop, please!" She cowered and pushed her entire body into the wall. Jason was only a few strides away when she yelled, "Bruce, it's- it's me!" He was confused for a split second before realizing, she thought she was back in the arena where Bruce fought a bunch of assassins before attacking her. "Please. Please. Please." Her cries became less intelligible. But hearing her like that... Hearing her _beg_ for Bruce not to hurt her... It hit him differently than any of the other times.

Scarlett always became defensive and terrified when the Pit Madness took over. Occasionally, Jason became the complete opposite. He was hostile and angry. There weren't a lot of people that could contain him when he was like this. That's why Artemis instinctively took her Lasso of Submission and tied his arms together. She couldn't force him to submit, but she could keep a hold on him until he was aware. Artemis moved him into a different room with Bizarro, who also could contain him if needed.

Rose took a heated blanket and wrapped Scarlett up in it as she pulled her into a hug. Scarlett only tossed for a moment before taking comfort in the warmth. Her breathing steadied and when Rose looked down, she laughed softly. That was the fastest Scarlett had ever fallen asleep after one of her episodes.

~-~-~-~-~-~

It took a few hours to calm Jason completely down. His eyes glowed as he barked that Bruce had to pay; he's let too many people get hurt. Him. Barbara. Scarlett. Hell, who hasn't he hurt? He was so deep in the madness that Roy had to help Artemis and Bizzaro. That left Kori and Rose with Scarlett. Rose walked her over to the couch with Scarlett in her arms still wrapped in the heated blanket. She sat her down and was about to walk away when Scarlett grabbed Rose's hand.

As Rose looked down, Scarlett mumbled, "Stay. Please." Her eyes were still shut as she spoke. "Please."

Rose smiled, "Okay, kiddo."

"Kor, too," Scarlett added a bit perkily.

When Roy walked out with Jason in a side hug, they saw the three of them on the couch fast asleep. Rose was laying on top of her arm which rested on the arm of the couch. Her other arm was on top of Scarlett's legs and her hand was tracing small circles on her ankles. Kori was on the other end cuddling around Scarlett. With Jason still with him, he took out his phone.

Just as he was about to take a picture, "Don't do it, Harper." Rose moved her head so he could see that she was looking at him. "I will end you."

Roy just smirked and took the picture.


	2. The Worst of the Worst

There was a pressure being applied around Scarlett's throat. Large hands wrapped around and pressed down. Even her gasps seemed to be blocked as no air could pass through their hold. She tried to claw at the hands, but she couldn't find them. Her own fingers seemed to be clawing at nothing. The bridge of her nose was burning along with the insides of her throat. Scarlett began to try and force her eyes own, despite the tears blurring her sight. A bright light was beaming down her, which blurred her sight more. However, the figure above her was blocking some of that light. She took the palm of her hand and tried to push them back. There was no reaction, even when she tried to pound her fist against them.

Something was cracking. Scarlett wanted to scream but it couldn't leave her chest. She swung at the figure again, only for her hand to go through the figure. _No._ Her eyes closed as more tears trickled down from their corners. She was completely defenseless. Her hands went to her throat again, searching for the hands applying that pressure. _Nothing. Just nothing._ Her chest burned duller. It was as if she was losing consciousness. _No. Keep fighting._ Someone was telling her. That wasn't her voice but it was coming from her own head. _Keep fighting._ Even though she couldn't get a grip on the person attacking her, she was able to push them away with a bright light.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Scarlett woke up with a sharp gasp. She shot up from her bed and looked around. No one else was in the room. Her hands went to her throat and instantly felt indents in her skin and some sort of liquid. She reached over and turned on the light. Blood. It was blood. She felt around her neck again. Her rational mind seemed to be more in control now because she realized that the blood was from her clawing at her bare throat in her sleep. She drew blood because the burned tissue from the inhibitor collar still hadn't healed completely. With a heavy sigh, she threw her legs off the bed and stood up. With the hand she already had blood on, she wiped up some of the blood before it dripped onto her clothes or the floor.

Instinctively, she went to Jason's door, but just before she knocked, she froze. Scarlett couldn't help but think that she had been bothering Jason and the others too much. It was only the other day that she had triggered his own Pit Madness. Taking a step back, she brought her hand back to her side. She didn't need to bother him.

After walking door the hall and down the stairs, Scarlett beelined towards the infirmary to clean up her neck and access the damage. The infirmary was always kept clean. Scarlett assumed it was because Jason, Roy, and Rose always got hurt (even though Rose and Jason had meta abilities, they weren't invincible). After flicking on the light, she grabbed one of the first aid kits and walked to a mirror. She was greeted by dark red trails across her neck. They crisscrossed over each other and some were deeper than others. She took a clean rag, dumped some alcohol on it, and then rung it out over the sink. With her head tilted back, she dabbed the rag over the wounds. It stung slightly, but not enough to cause too much discomfort. She dropped the rag in the sink, before turning on the water, and looked up in the mirror again. Scarlett was sure that she jumped a few feet when she saw Bizarro behind her.

"Oh my god, B. You scared the living shit out of me."

"I is sorry, Young Her." He replied as he moved his hands around. "I heard Young Her and wanted to see if Young Her was okay." He pointed at her neck, which she subconsciously hid by she ducked her head down. "You have blood. I get Red Him."

"No-" She accidentally said harshly. She took a deep breath and continued, "-Sorry, but no. I don't want to bother him."

Bizarro's lips pursed, "But Young Her needs help." He looked down at his open palms. "Hands too big."

 _He's not gonna take no for an answer._ Scarlett thought. _And I know I probably need an extra set of eyes on these._

"Okay," She said as she nodded. "But I'd rather you not get Jason. He's been through enough."

Bizarro nodded and left her. He was back a moment later with a worried-looking Kori and a tired-looking Roy. Roy was rubbing his eyes as Kori flew over to Scarlett. Her eyes were narrow and focused as she studied Scarlett’s neck. When her eyes locked with Scarlett’s, Scarlett tensed up and blushed under the tension.

“Why wouldn’t you come get us?”

“I’ve been bothering you guys ever since I got here.” Scarlett balled her hands into the fabric of her shirt. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“It doesn’t need stitches,” Kori admitted. “But you should still get someone. Especially when it’s from one of your nightmares.” Her look softened as she gently moved Scarlett’s face so she was looking at her again. When their eyes met again, Scarlett felt herself relax and feel safe. She still didn’t know why but ever since she got here, she naturally felt not only calm around her but drawn to Kori. Some part of her seemed to say that Kori was the only one who could keep her safe.

Scarlett mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

“What ever for?”

“I made both of you get up and worry.”

“Kid,” Roy said both tiredly and sternly. “We’d rather you wake us up then to face your inner demons alone. Don’t ever think you’re a burden.”

_Burden._

Someone had called her that before. She wasn’t doing exactly what she was told and they yelled at her. She was a burden to everyone. A mistake that should never have been made.

At some point while in her own thoughts, Scarlett began to cry. While she did, Kori continuously wiped away her tears and Roy began to wrap bandages around her neck. Scarlett continued to mutter apologies, though she wasn’t sure why only that it felt right. Kori let her and in response, she kept telling Scarlett, ‘it’s okay’, and hushing her. When Roy was finished, he hopped up onto a medical bed and pulled Scarlett back onto it. Scarlett was gonna get tired, not only because it was the middle of the night, but because she lost blood and she was crying.

It stayed like that for a while. Kori stood in front of her, wiping the tears away, and brushing the hair out of her face. While Roy sat next to her, one hand lightly traced small circles on her back and the other gently stroked her arm. Scarlett hated this. She felt so weak showing these two her emotions and giving in to how scared and defenseless she felt. But she also loved it. She felt safe and protected. All these strangers, who she only knew because of Jason, had taken her in as if they had known her just as long as they knew Jason. There was no hesitation. They greeted and talked to her as if they had been friends forever. They helped her through her nightmares and panic attacks. Then the moments like this. The moments where everything seemed to fade away. The only thing she could feel was their compassion and unconditional love.

She had only just met these people a week ago, but she was safe with them.


End file.
